Two months and counting until you will be 8 years old. You have decided you want your birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese and I have just booked it. I am STILL in shock that you will be eight.

When you turned one-five, I thought it was the coolest thing ever and couldn’t wait to see you grow. Now that you are turning eight, I realize just how fast time really does fly and I want you to just stay little. I miss cuddling with you. I miss kissing you goodbye without you getting all embarrassed. I miss your hugs, which are hard to get now. I miss you being a little boy.

Caleb I swear you get taller and taller each week. You are a head taller then all the other boys on your soccer team and most of them in your class. Everyone’s first reaction when they meet you and find out how old you are is, “Wow he’s really tall!” You want to play basketball and I think your height will really help you out with this.

Everyday when I pick you up from school I always ask you what your favorite part of the day is. And everyday you always answer, “playing tetherball”. Kid, you love this game! And even though everyday you also have some new cut from a ‘ropie’ or a bruise on your arm from a ‘bomb’ you keep getting back in there and playing. I think this is all you do at recess.

Soccer is almost over and I think you’re happy. You seem to be loosing your enthusiasm when playing a game. You are like me in so many ways, one main way is you go in strong with the best of intentions and bore easily. Then after you haven’t done it for a while you decide you miss it and want to play it again.

I love our playing catch times. We can go on for hours playing catch and we just talk and talk. You like to come up with quirky ways to play catch like, whomever misses the ball is a moose. Oh Caleb, how I love your quirkiness.

I have always tried to take lots of pictures of you. I’m so afraid that I will not be able to remember key times in your life and I never want to forget any part of it. You, however, are not a huge fan of having pictures taken and Lord help me if I’m trying to get a normal picture of you since you think it’s SO fun to make a goofy face right before I snap the pictures. Or better yet you get annoyed and won’t look at the camera. Trust me someday a future girlfriend is going to want to see these pictures!

You have this hair thing going on right now. While I think you are absolutely handsome no matter what, you have decided you want to grow out your hair. This is very hard for me. Dude, your hair is EVERYWHERE! I understand that this is just the beginning though…next thing I know you and I will be having disagreements on what you wear to school. As long as you wear boy’s pants and no makeup I think I’ll be ok.

Every morning I always tell you I love you with all my heart and soul. I do son. I really do. You are an amazing person and I learn so much from you. I thank God every day for trusting me to raise you, although sometimes I don’t know what he was thinking!